What’s with Indians and mythology?

May 8, 2014

‘So, like this dude had, like, a big cool kingdom and people liked him. But, like, his step-mom, or something, was kind of a bitch, and she forced her husband to, like, send this cool dude, he was Ram, to some national forest or something… . Since he was going, for like, something like more than 10 years or so….. he decided to get his wife and his bro along…. you know…so that they could all chill out together.’

Facebook Ramayana!

Many of you would have come upon this popular retelling of the classic Ramayana, which is now famous on many social media platforms. The point of this amusing snippet was to point out a ubiquitous phenomenon in Indian literature today – retelling of mythology.

At Bookish, we regularly review the latest books published by new and experienced authors alike, and this trend has been prominent for sometime now. More and more authors are taking upon themselves the task of reinterpreting classics and mythological figures, and giving us modernized versions of them. For a relatable example, look no further than the Shiva trilogy. I, for one, was quite surprised by the portrayal of Sati, which was pretty different from the bedtime stories that I’d grown up listening to.

So what’s behind this trend? Are we just running out of new material and turning to tried-and-tested founts of wisdom for new stories? Or are we reconnecting with our roots in a new way, opening up our imaginations to what might have been? I’d like to believe that, as a culture, we are now able to accept our gods and heroes in a more human light. Younger readers prefer their heroes to have shades of grey – human passions and weaknesses, flaws and idiosyncrasies that humanize rather than deify them. That we’re able to understand the how and why of mythology in a more rational way, instead of acceptance through unquestioning obedience or fear is interesting and, I believe, a positive development.

Author Devdutt Pattanaik is famous for his logical and simple depiction of the figures in ancient lore, and he goes so far as to state that mythology can be used as a tool to foster better business practices. This points to an interesting transition in the place accorded to mythology in our lives – from a means of remembering what has passed, to an almost textbook-like material which is very real and offers us something concrete that is very applicable to our daily lives. Ever wanted to be like Arjuna or Bharat? Well, maybe you just could be!

Devdutt Pattanaik is a particularly active author in this genre

Another reason for the popularity of this genre could be that these tales are so firmly embedded in our consciousness that their familiarity alone provides comfort. Add to that a plot twist or a different version of familiar events, and you have a potential bestseller! This combo of the known and unknown gives us ample scope to analyse, dissect, and criticize – which is what most good books do.

So will this continue? Are we going to have more and more wannabe authors taking to obscure ancient texts in a bid to make a name for themselves? In light of the success that the present ones are enjoying, there’s a good chance of that happening. Would it be such a bad thing if that happened though? Well, it depends on how skilled the interpretations are. For every success story, there are also a handful of books that didn’t make it big, inspite of having tried out the same basic formula. While it lasts though, let’s enjoy the kaleidoscope of insight that this genre provides!

29 Comments

I think these retellings are a way to understand the depth of Mahabharata. So many books on it and no two are the same. You just read and read and learn millions of minute hidden perspectives in each of its stories.

Agree completely. I can’t help but suspect that hijacking an existing plot and adding a little mirch masala here and there seems to be the easiest route for many aspiring authors to get something published.

I agree with you when you say that one reason for the popularity of this genre could be that these tales are so firmly embedded in our consciousness that their familiarity alone provides comfort. I am a great fan of this genre and so is my daughter. Another thing is that you don’t get tired reading them. Each time you read, you find a new meaning, a new angle.

when we were children we saw RAMANAND SAGAR’s RAMAYAN and MAHABHARAT for proper traditional languages. Now this is our time to shear those epic Granthas in our language and HINGLISH also. kind of mirch and masala we also seen in MELUHA series by Amish Tripathi

It is good to see many new modern versions of the so called epics which are famous for being source of ethics….. A new angle of combining the history with modern events….Just like remake of classic movies with a modern touch attracts people these would gain readers….

Though this trend of retelling of epics like Mahabharata and Ramayan are welcome, care should be taken by the authors while portraying such beautiful characters and the conversations among those characters should be nicely dealt. Since such characters stand as an exemplary to the current and future generations to come.

Mythology is a very important part of our life. Each mythological stories are like rules & regulations of life that needs to be followed to make our life happier and successful. I am great fan of mythology and I believe every generation should be aware of our mythologies which gives us so much of wisdom.

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